Mounting means and lock for an apparatus casing



c. H.'BROWN 3,031,875

MOUNTING MEANS AND LOCK FOR AN APPARATUS CASING May 1, 1962 Filed Feb,18, 1959 g N 5 m m a N 1H5 4 6 i nite States 3,031,875 MOUNTING MEANSAND LOCK FOR AN APPARATUS CASING Charles H. Brown, San Diego, Calif.,assignor to Morning Coffee, Inc., San Diego, Calif., a corporation ofCaiifornia Filed Feb. 18, 1959, Ser. No. 794,049 7 Claims. (Cl. 70-463)mounted on a wall or other vertical support, and which 7 includes acasing containing the working parts of the apparatus, that is open atits back and closed by a back plate secured to the wall, of means fordetachably securing the casing to the back plate which is accessibleonly through an opening in the casing, a cover member for the opening,and a key-controlled lock for securing the closure member in spanningrelation to the opening so that only one possessing the proper key canrelease the lock and thus remove the cover member to gain access to saidmeans and thereby allow removal of the casing from the back plate, andwhereby surreptitious removal and theft of the casing and its contentsis prevented.

A further purpose of my invention is the provision in an apparatus ofthis character in which the means for detachably securing the casing tothe back plate includes a latch, or other fastening means, that can beactuated to release and thus allow detachment of the casing from theback plate when it is required to gain access to the working partscontained in the casing for purpose of repair or replacement, andwherein the latch is accessible for release only through thelock-controlled closure member.

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide in an apparatus of thischaracter, a key-actuated lock for the cover member which, while simpleand inexpensive to construct, is extremely diflicult, if not impossible,to open without use of the proper key, and from which the key can beremoved only after actuating the lock to lock the cover member on thecasing.

Another purpose of my invention is the provision of a lock for the covermember which includes a shaft that is operable by a key to rotate alocking bar to engaging or disengaging position with respect to a keeperin an opening in the casing to lock or release the cover member withinthe opening, and wherein the shaft and locking bar are carried by thecover member, and the latter has means thereon for guiding and centeringthe lock in the opening as it is applied to the casing so that thelocking bar when rotated to engaging position will I have proper lockingengagement with the keeper.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 22 ofFIG. 1, and in addition showing the ice FIG. 4 is a View similar to FIG.3 but showing the locking bar in locking position and the operatingshaft for the bar in section.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 4,and with the lock-actuating key in the lock.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the outer side of thecover member, the keyhole and the operating shaft.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cover member and lock.

FIG. 8 is a detailed perspective view of the locking bar.

FIG. 9 is a detailed perspective view of the key for the lock.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and showing another form offastening means for securing the casing to the back plate.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line 1111 of FIG. 10.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in FIG. 1 is shown a casingC which is of the same shape as the casing disclosed in my aforesaidpending application in that it has a front wall 15 curved transverselyinto a top wall 16, a pair of end walls 17, and a vertical back'wall 18,the upper end of which terminates at the lower end of the front wall.The lower end of the vertical wall 18 is formed with a flange 19 whichextends at right angles thereto and spans the end walls 17. Welded orotherwise secured to the front side of the wall 18 is a tray 20 which iscoextensive in length with the casing C.

As with the casing of the apparatus of my aforesaid copendingapplication, the casing C is adapted to contain the water tank (notshown) having a filling spout 21 at its top and a discharge spout 22 atits bottom. Also contained in the casing are certain elements (notshown) for electrically heating the water in the tank and a manuallyoperable valve (not shown) for controlling discharge of water from thetank through the spout 22 into a cup which may be placed upon the tray20 for use when making a hot beverage. As will be understood, theseparts are accessible for repair or substitution through the back of thecasing C since it is normally open.

The casing C is mountable upon a wall 23 or other vertical support bymeans of a back plate B which is secured to the wall by screws 23a andis of an area to completely close the back of the casing C when thelatter is applied thereto. The plate is of rectangular form and providedon all of its edges with coextensive right angular flanges 24 insertableinto the casing C as the plate is applied thereto.

For detachably securing the casing C to the back plate B, I provideeither the means shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, or the means shown in FIGS. 10and 11. Both of these means include an upstanding lip 25 on the flange19 and a depending lip 26 on the bottom flange 24 of the plate B. Thesetwo means also include a bracket 27 welded or otherwise secured to theinner side of the plate B adjacent the upper end thereof.

The means shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a latch comprising a pin 28mounted on a spring 29 riveted as at 30 to the bracket 27, and thebracket is formed with an opening 31 through which the pin extends. Theother means comprises a screw 32 which is threaded into the bracket 27.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the top wall 16 of the casing C is formed witha triangular depressed portion 33 directly above the bracket 27. Thisportion 33 has fixed thereto a bracket 34 formed with an opening 35 inwhich the latch pin 28 is received and releasably maintained by thespring 29 so as to secure the brackets 34 and 27.to.each other. Thus theupper part of the casing is detachably secured to the back plate B.

As shown in FIGS. and 11, the bracket 34 of the other securing meanslikewise has an opening 34a in which the screw 32 is threadedlyreceived, and which registers with the opening 31 so that the screw whenthreaded in both openings secures the upper part of the casing to theback plate B.

Whether the latch pin 28 or the screw 32 is employed, the lower part ofthe casing is detachably secured to the lower end of the back platethrough interengagrnent of the lips and 26 in the manner illustrated inFIG. 1, and so that when either the latch pin 28 is depressed againstthe tension of the spring 29 to remove it from the opening of thebracket 34, or when the screw 32 is unscrewed from the bracket 34, thecasing can be removed from the back plate by swinging the top of thecasing downwardly until the lip 25 disengages the lip 26.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the top wall 16 of the casing to one side ofthe bracket 27 is formed with an opening 36 rectangular in form and atits opposite ends provided with recesses 37. This opening 36 is formedin the depressed portion 33 of the casing, and the walls of the openingare provided with downwardly extending fianges'38 (see FIG. 5) whichprovide a keeper for the bar of a lock to be later described herein. Theopening 36 is adapted to be closed by cover member 39 which is in theform of a plate of triangular shape to fit within the depressed portion33 and curved longitudinally to conform to the curvature of the top wall16.

This plate 39 carries a lock, generally indicated at L, which isoperable by a key K to lock the plate 39 in covering relation to theopening 36 and the latch pin 28 in one instance, or the screw 32 in theother, so that access to neither can be had toeffect removal of thecasing fromthe back plate B only when the plate is removed.

The lock, in the present instance, comprises a shaft 40 one end of whichis formed with a flattened portion 41, and a screw-threaded stem 42projecting from the latter. A locking bar 43 is mounted on the flattenedportion 41 through the provision of a slot 44 which receives the latter,and a nut 45 threaded on the stem 42 for clamping the bar to the shaft.The other end of the shaft is formed with a head 4-6 which has a roundedtop 46a and annular series of peripheral teeth 47.

The aforesaid described parts of the lock are associated with the plate39 in the manner best illustrated in FIG. 5 wherein it will be seen thatthe plate at its center is formed on its inner side with a member 48which is hollow to provide an arcuate channel 49 concentric to acircular keyhole 5t? which extends through the plate 39 and has a recess51 radially therein. The bottom wall of the member 48 is formed with anopening 52 smaller than the hole Stl-and concentric thereto, and thebottom side of said wall is formed with a pair of pins 53.

The shaft 46 is rotatably mounted in the opening 52 with the head 46 inthe keyhole 56, and as the locking bar 43 is secured to the shaft it isdisposed at the inner edges of the flanges 38. A leaf spring 55 ofarcuate form is mounted on the shaft 40 just beneath the head 46 so asto rest on the bottom wall of the member 48. This spring functions tourge the shaft upwardly in the member 48 to a position in which thelocking bar 43 the bar is in the locking position shown in FIGS. 4 and5.

In such locking position of the bar 43 it is retained through a pair ofrecesses 56 and a pair of pins 57 adjacent the recesses, all formed onthe upper side of the bar at points such that the pins 53 on the member48 are received in the recesses so as to abut the pins 57, thus securingthe bar as well as the shaft 40 against turning in either direction, andthus the plate 39 is locked against removal from the casing.

The key K comprises a shank 58 formed at one end with a handle 59, andat the other end with a socket 60 the wall engages the inner edges ofthe keeper flanges 38 when 4 of which is formed with an annular seriesof teeth 6-1. On the shank 58 adjacent the socket 66* is a pin 62.

The key is applied to the lock for operation thereof by firstpositioning it circumferentially so that the pin 62 is opposite therecess 51 when both the pin and socket 64 can be inserted into thekeyhole 50 and the socket onto the head 46 so as to cause the teeth 61to mesh with the teeth 47 to permit turning of the shaft 40 by the key.

It will be noted that the head 46 is countersunk with respect to the topof the keyhole 50, and that the top 46a is rounded. As a result theshaft cannot be gripped and turned by a pair of pliers or any other toolto release the lock and thus surreptitiously remove the plate 39 to gainaccess to either the pin 28 or the screw 32 and thereby detach thecasing from the back plate.

In the operation of the lock to release the cover plate 39, the key withthe pin 62 registering with the recess 51, is inserted into the keyholeto cause intermeshing of the teeth 47 and 61, whereupon the key isforced axially downward against the tension of the spring 55 therebymoving the shaft 40 downwardly and causing the bar 43 to be lowered outof engagement with the pins 53, and thus freeing the bar from turning bythe key.

By now rotating the key a half turn and in a clockwise direction as whenviewed in FIG. 4, during which the pin '62 moves along the channel 49,the shaft is caused to rotate in the same direction and with it thelocking bar until the bar occupies the released or unlocked positionshown in FIG. 3. In this position of the bar 43, it is out of engagementwith the flanges 38 and thus the plate 39 is released to permit it to beremoved from the casing.

By apin 63 fixed on the bottom of the member 48 the locking bar islimited in its turning movement to the unlocked position shown in FIG. 3since the pin is in the path of movement of one of the bar pins 57 to beengaged thereby. Also, since the pin 62 is within the channel 49 duringrotation of the locking bar to unlocked position, the key cannot bewithdrawn from the keyhole. Only when the locking bar is restored tolocking position by reverse rotation of the key to bring the pin 62 intoregistry with the recess 51 can the key be withdrawn from the keyhole.

To facilitate insertion and proper positioning of the lock within theopening 36, so that it will function as intended, the plate 39 has fixedon its inner side a pair of fiat tongues 64 and four round fingers 65rectangularly arranged thereon. The tongues 64 are receivable in therecesses 37 as the plate is applied to the casing, while the fingers 65are received in the corners of the opening 36, all as illustrated inFIG. 2.

The fingers 65 serve to guide the lock into the opening 36 and center itso that the tongues 64 will pass into the recesses 37. In their finalpositions the tongues and fingers secure the plate 39* against anyturning movement on the casing as well as prying of the plate otf of thecasing.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of mountingmeans and lock for an apparatus cas ing, it is to be understood thatvarious changes and modifications may be made herein without departingfrom the spirit of my invention and the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination: a casing, the rear side of which is open; a plate forclosing said side; means covered by the Casing for securing the plate toa wall; coacting means on the casing and plate for detachably securingthe casing to the plate; said coacting means comprising interengagingelements on the confronting sides of the casing and plate for securingthe lower ends of the casing and plate to each other, said elementsbeing disengageable from each other by swinging movement of the casingoutwardly and downward away from the plate, fastening means for securingthe top portions of the casing and plate to each other against swingingthe casing outwardly and downward away fromthe plate; said fasteningmeans accessible from the exterior of the casing to release the topportion of the casing; a cover on the casing for the fastening means;and a key-controlled lock for securing the cover to the casing.

2. A combination as embodied in claim 1, wherein the fastening meanscomprises a latch pin on the first-mentioned plate spring pressed intoan opening in the casin 3. In combination: a plate having a keyholetherein formed with a peripheral recess; a member fixed to one side ofthe plate and formed with an opening leading to the keyhole; a shaftjournaled in the member and also movable axially therein; a head fixedto one end of the shaft and disposed within the keyhole, said headhaving teeth thereon; a locking bar fixed to the other end of the shaftfor rotation thereby to occupy either of two circumferential positions;a spring on the shaft between the head and the member urging the shaftaxially in one direction to move said bar laterally in one direction;coacting means on said bar and the member for locking said bar againstrotation from one of said positions, said means effective to lock saidbar under the urging action of the spring; and a key extendable into thekeyhole and engageable with the teeth of the head and for moving theshaft axially in the other direction against the urging action of thespring to cause said means to release said bar so that it can be turnedto the other of said positions through rotation of the shaft by the keyWhile in engagement with the head.

4. A combination as embodied in claim 3, wherein a stop pin is fixed onthe member and adapted to be engaged by that part of said coacting meanson the bar to limit turning of said bar to said other position.

5. In combination: a casing having an open side and an opening in oneWall thereof; spaced flanges on said wall extending inwardly of saidopening; a plate for covering said opening; a hollow member fixed to theinner side of the plate and received in said opening; the plate having akeyhole therein leading to the interior of said member; a shaftjournaled in said member and extending into the keyhole; a locking barfixed to the inner end of the shaft for operation by turning of theshaft to engage said flanges so as to lock the plate to the casing, ordisengage said flanges thus releasing the plate; a key extendable intothe keyhole to engage the shaft for turning the same, said shaft alsobeing movable axially in said member, and that end of the shaft withinthe keyhole being formed with a toothed head; pins on said member andother pins on said bar, said bar having recesses therein adjacent thepins thereon; and a spring on the shaft for urging the latter axially inthe direction of the keyhole, and said bar laterally to a position inwhich the pins thereon engage the pins on said member, and the latterpins are seated within the recesses, all when said bar is in engagementwith said flanges to lock said bar and shaft against turning, said keyhaving an interiorly toothed socket extendable into the keyhole toengage the teeth of said head for turning of the shaft by rotation ofthe key, the bottom wall of said socket engageable with the end of saidhead so that pressing the key axially inward of the keyhole said headmoves the shaft axially inward against the tension of the spring 6 to,in turn, move said bar when in engagement with said flanges laterally inthe other direction so as to cause the bar-carried pins to be moved outof engagement with the member-carried pins and the latter out of saidrecesses, thus freeing said bar for rotation by the shaft to rotate saidbar out of engagement with said flanges.

6. A combination as embodied in claim 5, wherein the keyhole is formedwith a peripheral recess, and said member with an arcuate channelconcentric of the keyhole and one end of Which opens into the peripheralrecess; and a pin on the key extendable into the peripheral recess andinto said channel when the key pin is turned by the key for rotation ofsaid bar out of engagement with said flanges, whereby the key pin andsaid channel coact to maintain the key against removal from the keyholeso long as said bar is out of engagement with said flanges.

7. In combination: a plate having a keyhole therein formed with aperipheral recess; a member fixed to one side of the plate and formedwith an opening leading to the keyhole; a shaft journaled in the memberand also movable axially therein; a head having teeth fixed to one endof the shaft and disposed within the keyhole; a locking bar fixed to theother end of the shaft for rotation thereby to occupy either of twocircumferential positions; a spring on the shaft between the head andthe member urging the shaft axially in one direction to move said barlaterally in one direction; coacting means on said bar and the memberfor locking said bar against rotation from one of said positions, saidmeans effective to lock said bar under the urging action of the spring;a key extendable into the keyhole and engageable with the teeth of thehead for moving the shaft axially in the other direction against theurging action of the spring to cause said means to release said bar sothat it can be turned. to the other of said positions through rotationof the shaft by the key while in engagement with the head; and fingersfixed to the member side of the plate for guiding the member, shaft andlocking bar into centered position with respect to an opening and toengage the walls of the opening so as to secure the plate againstturning movement relative to the opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,263,104 Phelps Apr. 16, 1918 1,650,578 Wyman Nov. 22, 1927 1,953,037Ash Mar. 27, 1934 2,095,271 Swanstrom Oct. 12, 1937 2,217,775 Smith Oct.15, 1940 2,269,264 Haim Jan. 6, 1942 2,537,317 Probasco Jan. 9, 19512,683,978 Jacobi July 20, 1954 2,693,100 Wiegel Nov. 2, 1954 2,819,376Karlen Ian. 7, 1958 2,823,725 Trinca Feb. 18, 1958 2,894,110 Brown July7, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,078,753 France May 12, 1954

